By G.Stryker
SteelerNation.com
There are drafts when the Pittsburgh Steelers move, make trades, and acquire players. There are also times when they just barely miss out on players due to the moves of other teams. As we revisit different Steelers drafts over the years, we will take a look inside into what made those moments both special, and memorable.
What better place to begin our journey into Steelers drafts than to start at the single greatest draft in NFL History. A draft where four future NFL Hall of Fame players were taken by one team. The Steelers were coming off their second most win total in their 40-year history, and because of that, they were picking 21st out of 26 teams. You wouldn’t think a team about to grab four Hall of Fame players in their first five picks to be drafting so late in each round, but that is exactly what happened.
With their first pick, the Steelers netted an acrobatic and sure handed speedster from USC: Lynn Swann. He would become the first wide receiver to earn a Super Bowl MVP as he racked up three Pro Bowls and three All Pro nods during his nine year career. Swann would always be known as one of the best big game receivers to ever play, as his clutch, gravity defying catches would help his team earn four Super Bowl victories.
The second round saw 2 Hall of Fame players get drafted back to back. Dave Casper, the tight end from Notre Dame was taken by the Oakland Raiders just before the Steelers selected Jack Lambert, the heavy hitting linebacker from Kent State. Jack was thought to be "too small" to play linebacker when he measured just under 6’4” and 204lbs as a rookie. But before he could pack on any weight, he was thrust into the starting middle linebacker role and earned Rookie Defensive Player of the Year honors. Two years later, he was named Defensive Player of the Year. In 11 seasons, he was named to nine Pro Bowls and eight All Pro teams while winning four Super Bowls as a starter. He will go down as one of the most athletic and feared defenders to ever play the game.
Lacking a third round draft pick, the Steelers had two picks in the fourth round, and hit another home run with their first pick: wide receiver, John Stallworth. In 11 seasons, John was named to three Pro Bowls and three All Pro teams while winning four Super Bowls. He would retire as the team leader in receptions, receiving yardage and second in touchdowns scored to Franco Harris. The second pick was a talented defensive back named Jimmy Allen, where he served as a special teams player and sub package defender, and racked up seven interceptions before leaving to play with the Detroit Lions. In Detroit, Jimmy would amass another 24 interceptions in four seasons as a starting safety.
In the fifth round, the Steelers drafted their center, who would be known as one of the greatest centers to ever play: Mike Webster. "Iron Mike" played 17 seasons, earned nine Pro Bowl selections and seven First-Team All Pro nods. He played in 245 games, finishing one game back for most games played by a center. He will always be known for his toughness in anchoring the line for four Pittsburgh Steelers championship teams.
Rounds 6-17 didn’t see any more players of note, but what the Steelers did in acquiring undrafted rookie free agents was legendary in their own right. The Steelers found some tough tight end depth with Randy Grossman from Temple University, who would go on to play eight seasons starting on the 1978 Super Bowl team, while earning four Super Bowl rings.
The cream of the undrafted crop ended up being a hard hitting safety from South Carolina State: Donnie Shell. He started off playing special teams and spot duty on defense until 1977 when he became a full-time starter. From that moment on, in his next 11 seasons, he would be named to five Pro Bowls, four All Pro teams, and finished his career with 51 interceptions. That number is third best in team history, but #1 for Steelers safeties.
This year, Shell will be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, and further cement the legacy of the 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers rookie class as the greatest of all time with five Hall of Fame players. Hard to imagine a draft year any better than this one!
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